Section Of Wall Of Above-Ground Pool Pulled Out Of Base Track

We have an 18 x 33 oval above-ground pool. We attempted to replace the liner this weekend. Can this be fixed without draining pool and taking the pool liner out?

While doing this, a section of wall buckled slightly and the landscape rock around the outside of the pool in that section fell down in the crack that formed and went down against the pool wall.

Not thinking that was a significant issue, we continued with the liner, replaced the top coping and rails and began filling the pool(now over half-full). We dug out the dirt and rock around the section of wall that buckled slightly and saw that this section has actually pulled out of the base track (about 4 foot section).

Is there a way to fix this without having to drain the pool again and take liner out, etc.? What would happen if we left as is?

Husband and I are of different opinions - I say fix it now; he says it will be okay to leave as is.

Help!

Thanks for the question Kathy

Your size pool hold about 14,000 gallons of water. I will assume it's 52". If it's 48", the gallons are about 12,000. Let's take the middle with 13,000.

1/2 full is 6500 gallons. Water weighs about 8lbs. per gallon. This means you have 52,000 lbs. of water in the pool. To fix a 4 ft. section of the pool, both inside and outside, in my opinion, would require draining the pool, fixing the issue, then refilling it.

It would be much too difficult to try to fix it with all that water. If the liner pulled away from the track you will need to use a liner lock to get it back into place.

By not fixing the problem now you run the risk of the side of the pool caving in when it's full. I knew a couple in Arizona who had an above ground pool. A section caved in and had 14,000 gallons of water pour into their yard. The pool sat near the basement door and probably 1/3 of the water went in, destroying everything.

They had about 1 foot of standing water in their basement. Just from this story you can see the integrity of the structure is not something to mess with. I helped them clean up the best I could. When they got a new pool I filled it for them and balanced out the chemicals.

If the wall buckled only being 1/2 full, imagine what would happen if you filled it and during the night the section caved in.

Again, my opinion is to fix it now so you don't have a larger problem later on.

If you need immediate assistance (within 24 hrs) or for emergency personal assistance, you can make a donation of your choice and I'll answer your questions by phone.

Water Height vs Wall Height

by Lance

How do you dig a pool so the water height is at 54", while the actually pool wall is only 52"? Also, keep in mind, there is a deep end to the pool of 66". Thank you for your time.

Hi Lance. You're getting into the realm of pool construction which is not my strong point. Although I've been on many sites and have installed dozens of filtration systems for pool companies, I think you'd be better served by talking with someone who is qualified and could answer your specific questions. My expertise lies in the water chemistry and filtration side of pools.